It is as hard to imagine Sir Alex Ferguson without football as it is to
envisage the world of football without Ferguson.

Sunday brings another milestone on Ferguson’s journey through the high peaks of the game: his 986th league match in charge of Manchester United breaks Sir Matt Busby’s record.

Ferguson, the laird of landmarks, will also be hoping to break Tottenham Hotspur hearts again, extending an unbeaten run against those lilywhite shirts to an astonishing 26 games.

United's hegemony and Ferguson’s durability are further highlighted by noting the names of the Spurs XI who last cracked open the bubbly after facing Ferguson’s men: Sullivan; Carr, Gardner, Doherty, Young, Leonhardsen; Clemence, Davies, Etherington; Ferdinand, Korsten.

Their names, that distant May 19, 2001 date, and the 3-1 scoreline should be inscribed on Spurs’ wall of fame.

Since Hoddle they have been through four managers, David Pleat, Jacques Santini, Martin Jol and Juande Ramos, and two spells of the Clive Allen-Alex Inglethorpe caretaker alliance, and Harry Redknapp since 2008. None have outwitted Ferguson.

Spurs’ brittleness has been exposed by United’s mental hardness, a flaw Redknapp strives to tackle. Even when trailing 2-0 to Redknapp’s side in 2009, United hit back to win not 3-2, not 4-2 but 5-2 as if emphasising their anger at Spurs’ temerity.

Yet after that Lane loss in 2001 Ferguson expanded on his plan to step down as United manager.

‘I turned down a lot of opportunities in the year thinking I’d be staying at United,’’ Ferguson said, ‘’but now I’ll be looking elsewhere.’’

Look at him now, 11 years on, still to experience another reverse against Spurs, and indicating that he will be in power another two to three years.

No wonder. Ferguson loves days like this, the thrill of the points chase, the tension of watching his footballing sons in action, and then either savouring the momentary thrill of victory or enduring the dull pain of dropped points, of plotting the response.

He will definitely enjoy a convivial drink with Redknapp, their post-match chat possibly touching on the demands of being a caretaker at a tournament as Ferguson did with Scotland in 1986.

Aware of his prominent place in football’s illustrious history, Ferguson is still not one to spend time admiring his many entries in the history books. In conversation, Ferguson recalls defeats more, near-misses in the Champions League rather than the triumphs.

Ferguson may not even know he has surpassed Busby’s league record (which excludes the 31 League North World War Two games).

For those who love comparing two great men, despite the inevitable contrasts in eras, Busby’s 985 games brought 481 wins, 235 draws and 269 losses to Ferguson’s 588 successes, 232 draws and 165 defeats. Graced by the prolific likes of Denis Law, George Best and Sir Bobby Charlton, Busby’s teams scored 1950 goals to Ferguson’s 1834. Ferguson’s defence was far more parsimonious, men such as Gary Pallister and Steve Bruce, Jaap Stam, Rio Ferdinand and Nemanja Vidic conceding 880 to Busby’s 1385.

Ferguson continues to pass landmarks as he scales the sport’s Mount Olympus. As the statistician and United fan John Russell observes: ‘’Sir Alex’s tally at the end of the season will be 997 League games, so no retirement yet!’’ No wonder. Not with games like Spurs on the calendar, a fixture producing so many special moments and goal sprees down the decades.

Back in 1967, even Pat Jennings scored with an almighty hoof downfield. Four years later, Jennings was lobbed so elegantly by Best as time, and Spurs’ defence, stood still. If Best’s effortless execution of a demanding technique was exceptional, so was Hoddle’s gravity-defying volley from Ossie Ardiles’ tee-up in 1979. Goals rain on this fixture, glittering ones.

Ferguson’s first encounter with Spurs in the league came on Dec 7 1986. Footage of that thunderous match is easily, and frequently, found by fans on YouTube. Not only followers of United and Spurs click on excitedly; neutrals are also bewitched.

The oft-cited critique of games being played at too slow a pace in the past could not be levelled at this fast-moving classic.

The speed was breathtaking, the physicality bordering on the ruthless and the entertainment was endless. At a time when the sport was in crisis over hooliganism and many fans were staying away, United and Spurs put on a blockbuster of a show.

One moment Peter Davenport was playing the poacher from the tightest of angles, the next Chris Waddle was dribbling past red shirts for fun. One moment, there was a rampaging run from Kevin Moran and the next there was a diving header from Gary Mabbutt. Some filthy challenges went in.

A couple on Bryan Robson make one shudder to watch even now. Even Hoddle felled Gordon Strachan, rather like an unfortunate easel-throwing incident at an artists’ convention.

Sunday’s match could struggle to rival such drama, although at the last meeting, back in August, the pair shared 23 shots on target, a record this season. United still won easily, 3-0, and another success may depend partly on how scarred Spurs are by last week’s derby demolition at Arsenal.

Let us hope it is a game where wingers let rip. United fans will find their pulse-rates racing as fast as Aaron Lennon if the Spurs right-winger starts against Patrice Evra.

Ferguson could insert Giggs or Ji-sung Park on the left to give Evra some protection, something he did with Wayne Rooney in 2009, or he could simply be bold, unleashing Ashley Young and make Lennon look over his shoulder. Kyle Walker hopes to be fit to start but any lingering weakness in that ankle will be tested by Young.

The direction of the tide on the other flank depends on whether Spurs’ physios can loosen the tightness in Gareth Bale’s hamstring.

Although Bale revels in cutting inside, linking up with Luka Modric and Emmanuel Adebayor, the Welshman has not forgotten his major strength of bypassing startled right-backs. ‘’Taxi for Maicon’’ remains the theme-tune for the Gareth Bale Show.

Such width inevitably makes Spurs short of numbers in the centre, where they will miss the suspended Scott Parker. Rafael van der Vaart is key here, playing off Adebayor and giving an additional presence, if not a bruising, ball-winning one, in midfield.

For all their home advantage, and few elite grounds shake with as much retained noise as White Hart Lane, Sandro and Modric face a huge challenge to wrest control of the central staging posts.

Ferguson often fields only two in there but Rooney drops deep to help Scholes and Michael Carrick.

The compelling story-line of Scholes’ return, echoing a favourite old character being written back into Coronation Street, has slightly overshadowed the continued fine form of Michael Carrick, usually starting, rarely replaced, always making himself available for the ball and always distributing it calmly over short range and long.

For a player with so many technical gifts and so many medals, Carrick does not boast star status in the country. Maybe he needs to make a game his own, seizing the initiative more, earning admiration across the land as well as across the Stretford End. Carrick has the skill to dominate a match and command the headlines.

As Carrick aims to make a mark, United are celebrating one. This will also be their 75th league visit to Spurs and victory would make it 25 wins, 25 draws and 25 losses. A goal would make it a century for United in the League at the Lane.